Her Fault
by Kuroneko-sama07
Summary: Bulma/Vegeta; 3 years before the androids; Vegeta is training to become super saiyan in space--he recalls the recent times with Bulma and his unborn son, and thinks about what this relationship is starting to mean to him. Please review!


Her Fault

By Brittany (Kuroneko-sama07)

Rated T

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't own DBZ … blah.

A/N: …Another DBZ fic?? Yep, I'm just as surprised as you are. I still haven't watched it in years! But I'm telling you, my love for DBZ and B/V must be the real thing because it's an obsession that just keeps coming back. lol Anyway, this fic takes place right before the androids have arrived and Vegeta is in space training to become Super Saiyan. (It actually would be okay to say that this fic takes place sometime after my other fic "Unstoppable.") Frustrated, confused, and trying his hardest to maintain denial, he ponders his current relationship with Bulma and his unborn son Trunks.

Most of this fic is actually flashbacks which are in third person, but the rest is from Vegeta's pov. And I have to say, since this is a time that really isn't touched on in the series, you'll have to understand that this is what I think happened. There are a lot of questions about whether or not Vegeta was there for Trunks's birth, or if Trunks was an accident, etc. So, this fic does reveal what I think, and it might not be the same as what you think, but it should be okay. ;P But I will do my best to support my thoughts! Enjoy!

* * *

This is her fault.

How in the hell did I end up like this? I knew staying on Earth would only cause me trouble. I don't want to be involved with these people. What do I care if they all die? It isn't my home. So, why did I stay? There's something captivating about it, about her, and that's why I hate it.

Why did she even ask me to stay? I'm certain that she hated me; I never did anything that would make her feel otherwise. And yet, for some reason, she was attracted to me.

Perhaps I'm attracted to her. She's too damn gorgeous, that's for sure. I'll admit it—there's something about her that I can't resist. I'll probably never know what that is.

I know one thing: That place has done nothing but distract me. I should already be a super saiyan. And now, with this… I knew I had to get away.

_/ _

_It was 6 am. Vegeta was awake, ready to start another day of training. He walked into the large kitchen of Capsule Corp and was instantly surprised to see Bulma sitting at the table. She was staring blankly into space and he immediately noticed the redness of her eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept all night. _

_As soon as he saw her, he felt sick to his stomach. He knew something was really wrong. He hoped that she was just upset over something frivolous as usual, but he knew that this was different. _

_He walked past her to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water. He couldn't ignore her; for once, he really wanted to know what was wrong with her, even though he had the feeling that once he did know, he would wish that he didn't. _

"_Why are you up so early?" he asked, trying to sound disinterested. _

_Several seconds went by without a response. But finally, he heard her shaking voice. "Vegeta… I need to tell you something."_

_Her tone was ominous; he racked his brain to think of what could possibly be the problem. Maybe she was leaving? Maybe someone died? All of them seemed possible, but something told him that they weren't it. It was something else…_

"_Please don't freak out… please," she begged as she reluctantly turned to face him. She paused again to gather her strength, but this was making Vegeta extremely anxious. _

"_Would you just spit it out already?" he exclaimed. _

_And just as quickly as he finished his words did she release hers. "I'm pregnant."_

_The words resonated through the silence. Vegeta stood in disbelief, almost hoping that she would follow that up by saying that she had been having relations with someone else. But he knew she hadn't. It was his—he knew it immediately. _

"_I'm certain, too. That's why I went to the doctor yesterday," she stated. But he didn't doubt her. Tears sprang into her eyes as frustration took over. "I don't know why you wouldn't just listen to me and use protection! Didn't you know that this would happen?"_

"_Now, wait a minute, woman… You told me not to freak out, and I didn't! So instead, you're going to?"_

"_Well, I think that I have a right to! I'm going to be carrying around your baby for the next nine months! And my life will never be the same!" Bulma knew she shouldn't be arguing with him—it was exactly what she had feared would happen. _

"_And mine will? If you want to argue, fine. If you cared so much about protection, then why didn't you get it yourself? I know that female protection exists—I've seen commercials on the television about it! I've never worn a stupid 'condom', or whatever the hell it's called, and I'm not going to!"_

"_Well, I don't even care anymore! I never want to have sex with you again!" She glared at him with red eyes filled with tears. He knew that this was going to get out of hand very quickly, and he didn't want to talk about it anymore. The entire situation had him feeling nauseated. Clutching his bottle of water, he walked out of the kitchen and outside to start training. _

_/_

That was the last we talked about it.

And I'm glad, too. We had several nights together after that, but afterwards, she wouldn't go to sleep. She would just cry. I hated hearing it, so eventually, I didn't want to sleep with her anymore.

She cried a lot. For some reason, these earthlings deem it necessary to have a specific doctor for pregnancy. I'm not sure why; it seems like a waste. But, she had appointments quite often. She asked me to go with her every time she went. I never went, and I'm glad for that as well. I'm not sure what happened at these appointments, but I do know that she cried after every visit.

Somehow, she and that weakling Yamcha became friends again. He was constantly trying to do things for her, and generally just pissing me off in the process. He made her laugh and smile, and I don't know why, but that infuriated me. He'll never know, but that bastard is lucky. I overheard him attempting to win her back, and I actually didn't kill him for it.

_/_

_Vegeta was on his way into the kitchen, but as he was about to enter, he heard their voices. Bulma and Yamcha were sitting at the kitchen table. Something urged Vegeta to stop and listen. _

"_So, what do you see for the future?" Yamcha asked. "I mean… what's going to happen between you two? Is he going to stay here forever?"_

_Bulma stared down at the table. "I really don't know…"_

_Before she could continue, Yamcha's hand reached across the table to met hers. "Well, I want you to know that I'm here. And… I would be willing to be a father to this child."_

_His eyes pierced through hers. She couldn't tell if he really meant that, but she didn't need to believe him anyway. Her hand pulled away from his and rested on her small, but protruding belly. "But…this child is a half-saiyan, you know. I don't think Vegeta is just going to abandon it."_

"_But do you honestly think he's going to make a great dad?" he argued. "And not only that, I worry about you. If you two aren't together, it's just going to be difficult to live with him and your mistake of a child."_

"_Yamcha, you don't know him like I do…"_

"_Bulma, I'm sorry to say this, but you're in denial. That man does not love you. He's not going to and he's not going to love this kid."_

_Bulma was quickly taking offense to his words. He was refusing to listen to her. "Well, I'm sorry to say this, but you're wrong. I believe that Vegeta will be there for us. I know he will. I love him, and he cares about me and this baby. I might be miserable now, but I know that I won't be forever."_

_Yamcha was silent._

_Vegeta had listened intently as she spoke those words. When he heard her unfaltering voice, he wanted to run in there and scoop her up into his arms. It pleased him that she stood up for him and he felt like she was completely right, even though he wasn't totally sure that he was going to do any of the things that she said. _

"_Yamcha, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I'm done talking about this for now."_

_/_

Why she actually stood up for me that day, I'll never know. I swear I don't understand that woman.

The following months at that house seemed to drag by. Every day her pregnancy became more and more real to me. I kept myself occupied with intense training daily. I rarely took breaks—I couldn't stand being in that house.

But she… somehow seemed to become happier the bigger she got. Same goes for her whole family. They bought so much crap for that kid, read so many stupid baby books—hell, they even decorated an entire room just for him.

I couldn't understand how they could be so happy. Why should they be? That kid was a mistake. Didn't they know that?

However, I will admit that I was somewhat glad that the woman finally quit all that crying. I could actually stand to be around her—of course, only when she wasn't talking about that baby. We were never really intimate anymore, but for some reason, she still spent the night with me occasionally. I never asked her why, and I didn't want to argue. So, I just let her.

_/_

_It was late at night. Vegeta had just recently come inside from training and he lay on his bed reading a book he had found earlier. It was rare that something like that caught his interest, but it would happen on occasion. He heard a soft tap on his door followed by the opening of the door. It was Bulma. _

"_Hey… do you mind if I sit with you for a little while?" She was whispering; although, neither of them could be quite sure why. _

_Without replying, he moved over to one side of his bed so she would have a place to sit. She closed the door behind her and sat down beside him. Vegeta resumed his reading. _

"_I've just been a little lonely lately," she stated as a reason to why she wanted to sit with him; although, Vegeta had never asked. "I hardly ever see you anymore."_

"_Do you need to?" came Vegeta's emotionless voice. His eyes never left the book._

_But, that statement was somewhat hurtful to Bulma. However, she couldn't say that she expected anything different. "I guess not," she replied. _

_Silence filled the room. Bulma rested her hands on her large stomach—the baby was due any day—and gazed out the window in the room. The baby was apparently awake; she could feel his movements and light taps against her sides. But, after only a few minutes of that, she felt something that was definitely not new to her—strong kicks and punches that could only come from a saiyan baby. _

"_Ow!" she exclaimed as she flinched in pain. "I swear, there is no doubt in my mind that this child is yours!" _

_Vegeta, not having a clue about what was happening, immediately became alarmed. "What's wrong?"_

_Bulma sat slightly hunched over clutching at her sides. "Oh, nothing… he's just kicking. He does this all the time. I'm surprised my stomach's not covered in bruises." _

_Hearing this, Vegeta couldn't help but become interested. He liked the thought that his son was already immensely strong while still in the womb. "You can feel him?"_

"_Of course I can. I feel him all the time." _

_This, of course, was news to Vegeta. He didn't know what to say. He suddenly had the urge to put his hands on her and feel it himself. Of course, he didn't act on this and tried to re-focus his attention on the book. _

_But, Bulma knew better. She inched closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Do you want to feel him?"_

_Vegeta glanced at her momentarily before returning his eyes to the book. "Not really."_

"_Oh, come on, why not? It's neat," she said sweetly. _

_Vegeta folded the book closed and set it down. He didn't say anything, and Bulma couldn't anticipate what he was going to do next. He turned to her, and to her surprise, he firmly planted the palms of his hands onto the sides of her belly. He stared intently at her swollen abdomen, and as Bulma watched, she couldn't help but smile. He seemed to be trying so hard just to feel the baby. _

_After what seemed like ages, but was really only a minute or two, Vegeta pulled his hands away. "I don't feel anything. This is stupid."_

"_It is not. Here," she said as she took his hands and placed them back onto her. "Say something. He responds to voices."_

"_He can hear us?"_

"_Of course! Say something."_

"_Well, I don't know what to say! I'm not going to talk to him," Vegeta exclaimed. But just then, he felt it--several small kicks to the palms of his hands. Bulma watched him and was touched as she saw his eyes light up and a look of wonder and amazement come across his face. Of course, it was momentarily, but she vowed to never forget that moment as long as she lived. _

_Vegeta quickly pulled his hands away and folded his arms across his chest. "Those kicks weren't strong at all."_

"_Yeah, maybe not to you! But think about how I feel—he's practically punching my insides!" Bulma exclaimed with a laugh. _

_Vegeta smirked as well and didn't pass up the opportunity to tease her. "You're just a weakling who can't tolerate a little pain."_

"_Oh, yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, after all, this is your baby, so I can't imagine he'd be too strong," she teased. She knew that she was pushing the envelope with that one. Her eyes gleamed with mischief and Vegeta's smirk grew wider. This was the side of Bulma that he loved; although, he'd never admit it. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her down on the bed. Bulma giggled as he loomed over her. _

"_Or maybe… my kid is really strong after all, and you're just too weak to handle it. Perhaps I should have chosen someone else for the job," he remarked playfully. He knew just how to push her buttons as well, and he loved it. _

"_You would've never chosen anyone else, and you never will," she said matter-of-factly. "And if you ever try to, you'll have no luck. Because I'm the only one that will put up with you."_

_Vegeta grunted and leaned in closer until their faces were nearly touching. A smirk still played on his lips as he replied, "The same goes for you." He pressed his lips against hers to silence any remarks that she could have. _

_/_

Somehow, that night seemed semi-enjoyable to me. But if I had known what was soon to come, I wouldn't have allowed her to spend the night with me.

What came next was something that I wasn't prepared for, even though I had been given nine months to do so.

_/_

_For some reason, Vegeta awoke. He slowly opened his eyes expecting to see Bulma's sleeping figure next to him in the darkness, but she wasn't there. He was too tired to think much of it. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand, but his attention quickly became directed elsewhere when he heard small cries coming from the bathroom across the hall. _

_Suddenly completely awake, he jumped out of the bed and went to investigate. The bathroom door was closed, and he knocked first just to be safe. But, he heard no reply—he just heard crying. He knew immediately that it was Bulma. _

_He swung open the door, and there she was. She stood hunched over griping her sides in pain, and he noticed a puddle of liquid beneath her on the floor. _

"_What happened?" he asked. He was surprised to hear worry in his voice, but he had no time to even think about trying to disguise it. _

_She looked up at him, and he could see the pain in her face. "My water broke. Please, do something… go get my parents."_

_Usually, of course, Vegeta would not take orders from her, but he knew that she was going into labor. He didn't have a clue about the birth process—he didn't know what "water broke" even meant—but he could still see it in her eyes that it was time. Without another word, he fled to go retrieve Dr. and Mrs. Briefs. _

_Unfortunately for him, he had to go into their bedroom and wake them up which proved to be somewhat of an awkward situation for Vegeta. But, once they were awake, the attention was all on Bulma, and before Vegeta knew it, what was just a dark and quiet house soon became full of chaos and panic. Vegeta tried to avoid most of it, and in only a matter of minutes, they were ready to go to the hospital. _

_But, before he could be pulled in coming along, he slipped outside to the gravity chamber. They didn't look for him or wait—they just left. And he was glad for that. He didn't want Bulma's health to be risked because of him. But, he just couldn't bring himself to go. The only thing that made sense to him at that point was training. And that's what he did. _

_He consumed himself with rigorous training. He hardly left the gravity chamber and barely had anything to eat. He wasn't even sure of the time or how long it had been since they left. But, what he guessed was a day or two later, they returned with one more than when they had left._

_Vegeta did not rush inside. He knew the house was probably consumed with activity—activity that he wished to avoid. Instead, he waited and continued training, even though he was now battling extreme fatigue. _

_/_

It was during that time of training that I realized what I needed to do. I knew that I was not going to reach super saiyan any time soon at that rate. I knew that I had to come here—away, in space, alone.

Super saiyan… How did Kakarott get there before me? And that weird kid from the future? I'm royalty—if anyone should make the legendary transformation, it should be me!

This transformation is the only reason I allowed myself to stay on Earth with these people. I have to beat Kakarott. I have to show that I will always be the strongest saiyan in the universe—it is my destiny!

So, how did this simple quest bring me so much frustration? And why do my reasons behind this drive seem to be changing? I need to become a super saiyan… so I can be at my highest potential and defeat those damn androids and… save these people?

No. I know what I want out of this. I want to prove myself to every one of these weaklings. The Prince of Saiyans does not _protect_ anyone. I don't want to, and I never will.

_/_

_Finally, later that night, Vegeta couldn't ward off his curiosity any longer. He couldn't help but want to see what the kid looked like, but most of all, he wanted to see that Bulma was okay. Besides that, he couldn't deny the fact that he was about to collapse from exhaustion. _

_Dr. and Mrs. Briefs had already retired to their room for the night. He didn't see Bulma around, but he guessed that she was resting in her room. After showering, he made his way to her door and quietly entered. _

_Bulma was lying in bed flipping through a magazine. She appeared surprised to see him but didn't say anything. Vegeta had no comment as well and he closed the door behind him. He immediately noticed the bassinet beside her that held the sleeping newborn. _

_The tension that filled the room was suffocating; Vegeta was beginning to wonder why he came in there anyway. _

_Finally, Bulma put down the magazine, and Vegeta anticipated either screaming or crying. But, she spoke calmly. "You know, Vegeta… I understand that this isn't what you wanted or planned for. It wasn't in my plans either. But, the universe doesn't really care about what we want or what our plans are." She paused and looked over at Trunks. _

_Vegeta was surprised to be mentally agreeing with her. He thought that his life recently seemed to be a perfect example of what she just said. He walked over and sat down beside her on the bed. _

_Still gazing at Trunks, she continued. "But, I love Trunks. I love him with all my heart, and I'm glad that he's here."_

_With every minute that went by, Vegeta found that a new feeling was washing over him, something almost unidentifiable to him—guilt. He suddenly felt guilty for not feeling the way that Bulma does, even though he never expected himself to feel as she does to begin with. _

_He looked at her and saw that she was looking back at him with tears in her eyes. "I was scared. I just wanted you there to hold my hand."_

_Vegeta gazed intently into her blue eyes and wore an expression that Bulma wasn't sure she'd ever seen on him before. His strong hand grasped her small one, perhaps trying to make up for the lack of it when she was in need. _

"_Bulma," he began. Hearing him say her name always made her heart pound. "In less than a year from now, the androids will be here. I have not reached my goal. I…" His eyes turned away. She was already so upset; he didn't want to have to tell her that he planned on leaving. _

_But, one thing he loved about Bulma was her perceptiveness. It was like she always knew what he felt or what he needed to do, so he never had to say anything. "If you need to leave, then I understand. I want you to do what you feel you need to, so you can protect us." Through the tears, she forced a smile onto her face. _

_Vegeta leaned in, firmly pressed his lips against hers, and kissed her deeply for a long time. Everything that he didn't and couldn't say revealed itself to her in that kiss—his appreciation, his respect, and most of all, his love. _

_Without any other words, the light went off and they both settled into the bed to sleep. Vegeta wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close, and even as they drifted off to sleep, he never let go. Of course, Trunks awoke with cries several times throughout the night and awoke the sleeping pair in the process. But, no one—not even Vegeta—complained. Vegeta would wait for her to return when she'd scoop up the baby and scurry off with him to change his diaper, and then he would watch her as she sat up in bed to breast-feed the infant. But after every interruption, once they would settle back into bed, he would resume his hold on her. _

_The following morning, the sun shining through the large windows caused Bulma to stir. She sat up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and became saddened when she noticed that Vegeta was no longer there. He was already gone; she knew it. She allowed herself to cry for just a moment, and then she dried her eyes knowing that she had to be strong. She was a mother now—she had responsibilities. She couldn't waste her time crying over someone who she knew would eventually come back to her, in time. _

_/_

So, here I am. On some unknown, uninhabited planet where I have been training for the past several weeks. I want to think that I've made progress out here, but I can't be sure. I thought that I would be leaving all distractions, but I can't stop thinking about them.

That woman has done this to me. And I let her, so now I'm paying the price. I'm becoming a weakling just like everyone else!

Inside the gravity chamber, I begin to hear something. It sounds like rocks falling onto it. Once outside, I see the small rocks falling from the sky. A meteor shower. As I watch, I hope that it will be a small one that passes quickly. But with every moment that passes, the rocks seem to get bigger and increase in number. Before I know it, they're raining down on me. I feel them pelt my body and scrape against my skin. I try to avoid them but they're all around me.

I power up and decide that I will get rid of this nuisance right away. I blast away some of the larger rocks, but I quickly begin to notice that my actions aren't doing any good. More and more just keep coming down, and they keep getting larger. Soon, small boulders are crashing around me. I now realize something much more important—I can't let that gravity chamber get hit.

I rush over to it in an attempt to guard it, but the rocks are quickly becoming too much for me to handle. I feel like bullets are hitting me, one after the other. I'm feeling frantic as I hear the stones that I can't stop crash onto the gravity chamber.

This has to stop! That gravity chamber can't be broken—it's my only way out! If it breaks… I'm dead.

I turn back around to face the onslaught of stones, and at that very moment, a boulder flies right at me. It slams into my body and propels me backwards into the hard ground. I'm feeling smothered. I try to get up but the downpour is becoming heavier. I taste blood. I reach up and feel a gash in my forehead. I hear the crashes of rocks onto the gravity chamber in the distance.

Damn it. Am I going to die here? Even if I survive this shower, my way back could be destroyed. I slam my fist into the ground in anger. I try to fight back tears… why are they coming? I've died before. I'm pathetic… am I really afraid to leave this place, these people?

Out of frustration, I use my remaining energy to power up. I think of my son. My thoughts are screaming at me. What kind of father am I? I was not even there for his birth. No matter who he came from, he's still my son. And I can't even accept that?

I push all of my energy out of me. Something's feeling different. I keep thinking that I can't possibly have any more energy, and yet more and more is exuding from my body. I rise up as I feel a different kind of power surge through my veins. I yell at the sky as it flows out of me, and when I open my eyes, I see a golden aura enveloping me. It flashes and circles around me, and I suddenly feel invincible.

I have done it. I am a super saiyan!

I blast the remaining boulders out of the sky, and just like that, the meteor shower is over. The gravity chamber isn't in the best of shape, but it seems to be in working order. I will be able to return to Earth. And, I'm glad.

* * *

Yay! So, how was it?? I'm personally very proud of it. I hope I kept everyone in character—I think I managed it. Also, at the end, I wanted to subtly reveal some of my thoughts on the transformation to super saiyan. I believe that making that transformation has just as much to do with physical strength as it does with what's in one's heart. Vegeta could not get there until he had love in his heart—even if he didn't realize he had it. That's why it was such a legendary transformation to the saiyan race—they were a warrior race and love wasn't a part of their lifestyle. And, that's why Goku, Mirai Trunks, and everyone after that were able to make the transformation so easily. Anywho, just what I believe! Thanks for reading and please review!


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